It was the year the world experienced its hottest 12 months on record. China added more new coal-fired power plants than ever before. U.S. oil production hit its highest level of any country in history, while LNG shipments hit an all-time high. The United Nations’ annual climate meeting in Dubai had fossil fuel producers smiling and climate activists furious. There was no shortage of bad climate news in 2023—but even worse, there was a wealth of troubling information that drowned out the bigger stories. Here are three important issues that slipped under the radar over the past 12 months.

There is gold in their forests

One of the biggest sellers in the global energy industry this year was a company that didn’t exist 15 months ago. Blue Carbon, founded by a member of the Dubai royal family last October, has signed deals on millions of hectares of land in Africa and elsewhere for carbon offset projects. (David Fickling)